A Matched Pair of George III White-Painted and Parcel-Gilt Armchairs

One Attributed to Thomas Chippendale, Circa 1775; The Other Possibly Supplied in the Early 19th Century

with minor differences in scale, carving and construction; redecorated.
Height of larger 38 1/4 x 28 inches.

This lot is located in Chicago.

Provenance:

Hotspur Ltd., London, 15 August 1990 (with invoice)

Note:

The design of this pair of armchairs presents another variation of Chippendale’s repertoire of Neoclassical ornament for chairs produced in the 1770s which are considered to be among the most expressive of his oeuvre. Their ‘French’ form is clearly evident with their guilloche-carved backs, laurel leaf-carved frames and the vertical cross strut on the back of one chair. Although they are almost identical to the other pair of chairs in the Krehbiel collection (Lot 57), differences in the treatment at the tops of the legs as well as the scale and handling of both the carved medallions and the borders on the backs and seatrails indicate they were a separate commission.

Moreover, the differences in the carving, construction and scale between the two present chairs may indicate the larger chair was supplied afterwards; the side chairs in the set attributed to Chippendale supplied to the Duke of Gloucester are one documented example (RCIN 100201, 100202) of Chippendale enlarging an earlier commission. The set of seat furniture supplied to Sir Penistone Lamb for the Saloon at Brocket Hall is the most closely related documented example to the present lot (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale Vol. II, London, 1978, p. 109, fig. 186) but the guilloche border and medallion back is also seen on the set for the Saloon at Nostell Priory around 1778 (Ibid., p. 108, fig. 184).

Seat height 17 inches. Overall sturdy and usable, well-conserved condition. Re-painted and re-gilded. Though there are differences in scale, carving and construction between the two, this would not be immediately apparent when placed in an interior. However, Chair B is of a larger scale and its carving and construction show a different hand; it also has a cross strut to the back. Chair B’s seatrail has several replaced strips to the top, particularly to the center back and left rail. The proper left side rail does not have a cramp cut and the rails do not have the same tool marks. The proper right front leg has a canted corner and stain, possibly to accommodate the block. The feet of chair B have more elongated ends with wood different from chair A (Chair B has possibly later legs). Its front legs have later blocks and one foot probably tipped. In the underside photos available upon request, chair "A" has more refined carving with more 'life.' Its rails are all consistent with cramp cuts in the same places. Scattered wood worm, chipping and wear on the feet. The foliate carving is more sculptural and the carved husks are better delineated. Chair A does not have a cross strut on its seat back. There is a pattern of holes from upholstery on chair B that do not appear on chair A.

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Property from the Fred and Kay Krehbiel Collection, Part I

A Matched Pair of George III White-Painted and Parcel-Gilt Armchairs

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